Plastic Checkout Bag Ban - Business and Resident Feedback - May 2019 - Municipality of Jasper

Municipality of Jasper

 Plastic Checkout Bag Ban
 Business and Resident Feedback – May 2019

In April and May of 2019, Council solicited feedback from residents and businesses on the proposed
Single-Use Item Regulation Bylaw, specifically on the plastic checkout bag ban. The proposal and how it
might impact residents and businesses was described in the attached newspaper ad, which was
published twice in the Fitzhugh and once in the Jasper Local.

Administration received 27 submissions from residents and 15 submissions from business owners, in
addition to four letters previously submitted by businesses through the Create Change presentation.

The analysis presented below focuses on resident and business owner feedback separately, with the
intent of identifying community values related to the proposed plastic checkout bag ban.

Residents’ Values
Primary values (shared by most respondents)
 - Environmental stewardship
 o Of the 27 submissions by residents received, only one is against the proposed ban.
 Residents most often cite the fact that Jasper, as a national park community, should be
 a leader in environmental stewardship. Participants in clean-up initiatives around Jasper
 indicate that single-use plastics are the most common items collected.

 - Join the global movement
 o Residents cite the various areas of the world who are taking action on this matter, from
 India to Taiwan to Victoria, BC. Residents wish to do their part in protecting the
 environment, citing issues like climate change and negative effects on wildlife to express
 support for the proposed ban.

 - Support for individual behavior changes
 o Residents believe that behavior changes by each individual are achievable, recognizing
 that habits will have to change but that solutions and alternatives to single-use plastics
 are available and relatively easy to integrate for individuals.

Other values (shared by some respondents)
 - Well-researched proposal
 o One resident questioned the rationale behind including biodegradable plastic bags in
 the ban and expressed interest in seeing the research behind it.
 o One resident indicated they were in favor of the ban “as long as the affected businesses
 have been consulted to ensure it meets the practical needs of grocers and their
 customers; and the alternatives have been researched to ensure that they in fact do
 have less of an ecological impact/carbon footprint than single use plastics.”

Municipality of Jasper

 Plastic Checkout Bag Ban
 Business and Resident Feedback – May 2019

Business Owners’ Values
Primary values (shared by most respondents)
 - Environmental stewardship
 o Business owners indicate that they endeavor to employ sustainable business practices
 whenever possible. Some already provide paper bags or found substitutes for single-use
 plastic items, whenever possible. Several business owners noted that they already ask
 customers whether they need a bag or not before providing one, in an attempt to
 reduce usage.

 - Education and awareness instead of legislation
 o Business owners are cognizant of the negative impact single-use items have on the
 environment and favor education and awareness campaigns to reduce single-use plastic
 use in Jasper as opposed to a legislated approach involving bans and fines.

 - Alternative bags are not readily available
 o Alternative solutions to plastic bags are not readily available for businesses to purchase.
 Paper bags cannot accommodate the weight of some retail products (i.e. liquor or
 groceries) and their integrity can be compromised if the bag gets wet.

 - Current plastic bag inventory
 o Business owners noted that logoed bags are generally purchased in large quantities and
 the stock can last for three to five years. The proposed timeline for the ban would not
 allow businesses to use up their existing stock, leading to financial losses and more
 plastic bags in the landfill.

Other values (shared by some respondents)
 - Against the fees
 o Business owners feel that charging a fee for a checkout bag will negatively affect the
 customer experience and potentially result in a loss of business. There also appears to
 be confusion around the fee being mandatory for all businesses, and the fact that
 businesses would keep the fee (as opposed to remitting it to an outside source).

 - Freedom of choice and the marketplace
 o Business owners feel that individual choices and trends in the marketplace should
 dictate business practices, not regulation from government. This item relates to the
 philosophical issue that businesses becoming the agent of social change is an unfair
 expectation that doesn’t consider the operational and fiscal impacts the bylaw would
 have on local business owners.

Municipality of Jasper

 Plastic Checkout Bag Ban
 Business and Resident Feedback – May 2019

Values Based Analysis
Specific segments of retail, namely liquor stores and grocery stores, are likely to experience the most
challenges implementing the ban due to the nature of the products they offer, the customers’ service
expectations and the high volume of customers served. It is also important to note that some business
owners, in various sectors of retail, have already stopped providing plastic bags and use paper bags
instead, whether for a fee or not.

While opposing views on the role of government in regulating business activities is at the heart of the
debate, a commitment to environmental stewardship emerges as common ground for all parties
involved. Constituents may disagree on how to get there, but most agree that reducing the amount of
single-use items in Jasper is the way forward. The other common ground identified by respondents is
the importance of a well thought-out, well researched and well implemented proposal that effectively
reduces our community’s environmental footprint.

Attachments
 • Plastic Checkout Bag Ban newspaper ad (April 18 and May 2 Fitzhugh; May 1 Jasper Local)
 • Feedback from residents
 • Feedback from businesses
 • Summary of stakeholder engagement (extract from February 26, 2019 council agenda)

Report submitted by:
Christine Nadon
Legislative Services Manager
May 10, 2019

Municipality of Jasper – Proposed Single-Use Item Regulation Bylaw

PLASTIC CHECKOUT
BAG BAN
Jasper Municipal Council is proposing a plastic checkout bag ban
starting January 1, 2020 with voluntary compliance encouraged by
July 1, 2019. The proposed Single-Use Item Regulation Bylaw could be updated
in the future to include other single-use items such as plastic straws, utensils,
take-out food containers, polystyrene foam cups and containers, and flushables.

What’s happening? What are the exemptions?
Council is considering a ban on plastic checkout Plastic bags may be provided in-store to package,
bags. This means Jasper businesses would wrap or protect:
no longer be able to provide plastic bags to • Loose bulk items (nuts, grain, candy, etc.);
customers to carry the items they purchased • Loose small items (nails, bolts, fish hooks, etc.);
(usually provided at the till). Exemptions are • Produce, frozen foods, meat, poultry and fish;
proposed for specific items. • Flowers or potted plants;
 • Prepared foods or bakery goods that are not
Which bags would be prohibited? pre-packaged;
All types of plastic checkout bags would be • Prescription drugs from a pharmacy;
banned, including Low Density Polyethylene • Linen, bedding, large items of clothing or
(LDPE), High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) and other similar items that cannot easily fit in a
biodegradable plastic bags. Some communities reusable bag.
differentiate types of plastic bags; the proposed
 The bylaw would not apply to prepackaged plastic
ban for Jasper includes all types of plastic
 bags intended for use at the customer’s home,
checkout bags.
 such as garbage or Ziploc bags.

Which bags would be allowed?
Businesses could provide either paper or Own a business?
reusable checkout bags. Paper bags should We would like your feedback on the proposed
contain at least 40% of post-consumer recycled exemptions, and on the paper bag and reusable
content, and reusable bags should be designed bag definitions. Please identify yourself as a
and manufactured to be capable of at least 100 business owner in your submission, using the
uses, and be primarily made of cloth or other contact information provided below.
washable fabric.
 Resident with an opinion?
How would the fees work? Send a letter or an email addressed to Mayor and
If, after being asked, the customer indicates they Council to info@town.jasper.ab.ca, or use the
need a bag, businesses would have to charge a feedback portal on our website at
minimum of $0.10 per paper bag and $1.00 per jasper-alberta.com/feedback.
reusable bag. Businesses could charge more for
 Written submissions will be accepted until
paper or reusable bags, but the minimum fee
 Thursday, May 9 and included in a report to Council.
would be mandatory for all businesses in Jasper.

Feedback from Residents
Subject: Single-Use Plastic in Jasper

Dear members of the council,

I am writing in support of a full ban on single-use plastics in Jasper. I grew up in Jasper and still call it my
home every summer when I return from university to work for Parks Canada, where I represent a
community that aims to protect and promote growth, beauty and wildness. By continuing to allow
single-use plastics in Jasper, we directly compromise those goals.

I'm currently on a university exchange in Taiwan, where day-to-day life is saturated with single-use
plastics. If you order a drink at a cafe, the barista will either put your plastic to-go cup into a plastic bag
or pour the drink directly into a plastic bag (with a plastic straw, of course). At night markets, if you
order food, it will come in a paper bag inside a plastic bag. There are no paper cups or takeaway
containers, all are plastic. It is everywhere, and people don't seem to be concerned about it. However,
Taiwan announced last year that they would implement the most extensive ban on single-use plastics in
the world, to be fully in place by 2030. When I look at businesses here now, I have no idea how they are
going to make the transition, but still the country has committed to do so.

Countries like Taiwan are making the news everyday for abandoning single-use plastics. Grocery stores
in Vietnam and Thailand are swapping plastic wrap for banana leaves, and the EU has vowed to be
plastic-free by 2021. In Jasper, we are a community that already strives to be environmentally conscious
and takes pride in doing so.
On top of that, we are a model for the thousands of visitors from Canada and around the world that visit
us every year to enjoy the wilderness that we are so lucky to call home. With all things considered, our
community has more than just an opportunity to join the international war on single-use plastics. We
have a responsibility to do so.

Thank you for taking the time to read this email. I look forward to hearing the results of the meeting on
May 21.

Sincerely,
Megan Warren

Subject: Pro Single-Use Plastics Ban in Jasper

Dear Mayor Richard Ireland and Council Members,

As a resident of Jasper, I am in favour of the single-use plastics ban.

I hope that our society's addiction to plastics is something that will be a thing of the past in the near
future. While plastics are convenient, it certainly is a material that negatively affects our natural
environment that we, as humans and other species, depend on for our survival.

Since single-use plastics add a huge amount of unnecessary plastic into our environment, even if it ends
up in the landfill (where it will be transported by birds outside of the landfill area or will degrade and
end up in the watershed), it is an easy target to start devising a plan to ban this material from being
used and consumed in Jasper.

I envision a future in Jasper, as a part of a global movement, where there will no longer be single-use
plastics in our lives. It really is a weird concept that we think that we can produce and use these items
once and then throw them away: balloons, straws, shopping bags, food packaging and packaging for
other products, plastic tampon applicators, cups, utensils, cigarette filters, and even bottles. Do you
know that those are the items most found during roadside and shoreline cleanups around Jasper and
beyond?

Other places in the world are leading the way for bans on single-use plastics bans. For example, in
Kenya, violators can face jail time and fines of up to US$38,000. Taiwan, Malaysia, Europe, cities (and
provinces) in Canada and the United States of America, and even Starbucks is on track to implement or
have already implemented a single-use plastics ban.

Remember the issue with the hole in the ozone layer and the laws that came into effect to address that
issue? What about lead in paint? Or the DDT issue? Sometimes we only realize later that the materials
we produce have negative effects on the environment and on our human health. This is one of these
times to act and take a stand. Solutions for alternative materials will follow; as they always have.

For example, I use wax-lined cloth wraps for containing my food such as lunch or snacks. I reuse glass
jars to store my food in. I ask for water with no straw at a restaurant. I bring my reusable shopping bag. I
use a menstrual cup instead of tampons with plastic applicators. I fill my reusable water bottle. I refuse
to use balloons. I bring my refillable bags to the store. I refuse to buy produce that is packaged. These
are just examples of how we can reduce single-use plastics in our lives without much hardship.

Practically, I can see a phase-in for a single-use plastics ban in Jasper. For example:

 • From May-September, it's an optional buy-in to the by-law. This way, if store owners have
 already bought their plastic bags, straws, or cups for the season, they don't have to throw them
 away. That's more waste than intended!
 • September-December, a soft-entry to enforce the by-law: Store owners can apply for an
 extension to December if they still have more plastic bags in stock after the summer season.
 • January 2020: full bylaw in place; with penalties in place.
 • The by-law could be approached in a multi-phased-in way where this year, we can focus on
 plastic bags. Next year, we can focus on straws, utensils, and cups. The following year, we can
 ban the sales of plastic water bottles in Jasper (which is another loaded topic as you probably
 already know; better to install more water taps).
 • On top of this, we need to promote the recycling of single-use plastics at the transfer station.
 Where is the public communication about the two bins that take plastics that can be recycled
 located at the transfer station? Everyone should know about this and use it. In fact, we should
 have these bins in town as well.
 • Lastly, I believe that a solid public education campaign around this topic is crucial for an
 effective implementation of this ban. This would include regular messages in the local paper, on
 social media (not just the town's website), public events, etc. If you are looking for volunteers
 for this, I'm sure there are willing folks in our community to take this on.

Thank you for considering this momentum in Jasper, a place that is experienced by over 2 million visitors
a year from people around the world. And our local people year-round. People will take notice and will
be appalled if Jasper isn't a leader in clean, environmentally sound practices.

Sincerely,

Sanne van der Ros

Subject: Single Use Plastic Bags

Dear Richard,
I am writing to you to express our support for the cessation of use of single-use plastic bags in
Jasper. There are a myriad of reasons, of which I know you will be aware, for this action to be
implemented.
Living in a National Park gives us all the more reason to stand on our soap box and set an example for
others.
Thanks,
Mark and Nancy Addison

Subject: Single use plastic bags

To whom it may concern,

I say NO to single use plastic bags in Jasper, Alberta!

Thank for your time,

Nadia Helmy

Subject: No to single use plastic bags in Jasper

Dear all,
My name is Stanislava Drahosova and I would like to say no to single use plastic bags in Jasper. We live
in a beautiful National Park and there is no so much concerns about enviroment at all. We should start
with small steps, as other towns and countries starts. This is perfect beginning of a contribution to
helthier not just town but to whole planet.
Thank you!
Stanislava Drahosova

Subject: Single use plastics

Dear Jasper council members,
According to IPCC, we are very likely facing climate catastrophe in coming decades and recent
Environment and Climate Change Canada report shows that Canada itself is warming at twice the rate of
the globe. Therefore, it is essential to join our efforts and try to limit our carbon footprint in any and
every way possible.
Ban of single use plastics represents one of the easiest ways how to achieve both lower carbon
emissions and environment pollution. It does not affect quality of life or economics and does not require
new technologies or bureaucratic burden. It's just a matter of habit - instead of plastic bags, people
bring their own fabric bag, backpack, box etc. Based on numerous examples from around the world,
even people opposing it at first get used to it very soon.
Please, say NO to single use plastic bags (and straws, utensils, food containers etc.) in Jasper!! Please,
think about our children and grandchildren and the future we are creating for them.
Thank you.
Kind regards,
Petra Albrechtova

Subject: Single-Use Plastics

Dear Mayor and Council,
Each June, all non-essential Municipal and Park employees join together to clean up the park on
Stewardship Day. This annual event sees upwards of 1,700 kilograms of waste picked up from the sides
of our highways, around our lakes and in our forests.

Last year, I picked up along Highway 16 East from the East Park Gate to Talbot Lake. In one day, on that
small stretch of highway, my team collected 500 kilograms of garbage.
Many of our trash bags were littered with single-use plastic bags, straws and take-out containers. These
single-use plastics were likely purchased in our community, only to then be littered in our park.

Communities, regions and countries all over the world have recognized the damage single-use plastics
create, afflicting our lands, waterways and oceans. This has led many places to ban single-use plastics.
Last June, as India hosted the United Nations’ World Environment Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi
announced its intention to eliminate single-use plastics by 2022.
If India can do it, surely our National Park community can, too.

I understand this decision can be inconvenient for shop owners, and I know that change is always hard,
but at some point, we need to take action, even if it's challenging. We are not the first tourist
destination to take on this challenge: Victoria, B.C. has done it, the state of California banned single-use
plastic bags in 2014 and, come January 2020, retail plastic bags will be outlawed on Oahu. These are just
a few places that have taken on the challenge and have prioritized the environment over convenience. I
hope this year Jasper will join that list.

Thanks your consideration,

Nicole Veerman

Subject: In favour of a plastic bag ban in Jasper

Good evening,

I am a resident of Jasper since 2010 and I am in favour of a plastic bag ban in Jasper National Park.

I spent 3 years living in Chile before becoming an Albertan resident. This winter, I went back to Chile for
few months and was very surprised to learn that ,since August 2018, Chile became the first country in
Latin America to ban stores from handing out free plastic bags to shoppers. For what I remembered
from Chile, this country has never been an ecologically foward thinking country , so I got very happy
about this new law and I could not believe that they made it before Canada ! I did not know what to
answer when people were asking me why in a Canadian National Park , businesses were still giving
plastic bags to custumers, that did not make sense to them….for me either !

 ‘’The new legislation, approved by Congress and enacted by President Sebastián Piñera, gives small
shops two years to adapt to a total ban.

Larger business will have six months to stop using plastic bags.

In the meantime they will only be allowed to hand out two carrier bags per customer.

Businesses that break the rules will face a fine of $370. » https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-
america-45066268

I was in Chile six months after the law has been approved, I was there to see that the public did not have
any problem adapting to these changes. Yes, at the beginning, they forgot to bring their own re-usable
bag and needed to buy one, but after few times, it became a habit. So, I am not worried that we, people
who decided to live in a National Park and visitors who come to enjoy the beauty of this pristine nature,
will easily adapt to a new law about the plastic bag ban. So we don’t have a lot of time to think about it,
we need those laws to change our bad habits and to work together towards finding solution for the
climate change.

The next step will be to reduce plastic in food packaging, but let’s go one step at the time. Now, it is our
oportunity to do something, I really hope, we will not miss this chance.

Merci

Marie-Hélène Hamel

Subject: Those long lived plastics

Mr. Ireland, mayor

Five seconds to manufacture and five hundred years to return to the earth... the popular knowledge
about plastic bags. In the meantime the darn things are part of our lifestyle, have been adopted in the
last generations as indispensable. And council is debating about the flimsy extrusions that I for one and
many citizens in towns and cities are grouping together to replace with sustainable, re-usable products.

I have taken up the challenge in my home, encourage the movement to ban the plastic bags... and hope
that the Jasper Municipal council in its second reading of the bill will take this first step forward in
adding to the other important environmental practices we see as imperative.

Jennifer Ottaway, new resident

Subject: Single-Use Plastic Bag Ban

Dear Mr. Ireland,

I am writing to express my support of the single-use plastic bag (and straw) ban in Jasper. As a national
park, we need to do everything we can to support the health of our environment and to be leaders in
sustainability.

Thank you for your time,

Nina Height

Subject: Save the planet

Hi
As a town situated in a National Park….
You should be setting an example
By saying NO to single use plastic bags
“Be the change you want to see in the world” – Ghandi
And pass on the challenge to another town…
Maybe you could start a ripple effect!
Kind Regards
Cathy Beveridge

Subject: I am for the plastic bag ban in Jasper

Hello,
I've lived in Jasper for three years, and I'm absolutely in favour of the plastic bag ban in town.
I'm from the UK, where the government put a fee on plastic bags across the country back in 2015. Even
that's not enough. Climate change is already happening. It's already impacting people around the world
in the form of floods and droughts and wildfires. It'll impact me, and you, and my nieces, and I'm
scared.
Also, of course, it's already impacting the wild things in our park, from the stressed mountain goats
whose summer moults aren't happening early enough to match warming temperatures, to the many
thousands of trees that have been killed by mountain pine beetle.
I hope Jasper shows other Canadian towns how it's done by instituting even more initiatives that help in
the fight against climate change. There's no time to be conservative or hesitant.
--
Ailsa Ross, author, editor, fact-checker

Subject: Plastic Bags and Environmental Stewardship

Dear council, I am in total support of a ban on single use plastic bags in Jasper. Plastic bags end up in
rivers, lakes, oceans, and we can no longer ignore the impact this is having on wildlife. Paper bags and
reusable bags help reduce our ecological imprint, and provide an alternative for consumers. People can
learn to change their habits, and support this initiative. Also, I was deeply disappointed to hear that we
no longer have an environmental stewardship coordinator in our community. This is important work,
and we need an individual who can provide leadership in this area. I hope this decision can be reversed.
Thank you for taking the time to read my comments.

Sandy Cox

Subject: plastic bag ban

Jasper Municipal Council

I say NO to single use plastic bags in Jasper! Please help make this happen ~

Heather Johnson

Subject: support of bag ban

I wish to submit my support of the proposed bag ban. It's about time! I hope that this forward-thinking
movement extends to bans on take out containers soon (styrofoam) and other single-use plastics (take
out cutlery and straws).

Melanie Hindle

Subject: attn.: Mayor/Dick Ireland

I say NO to single use plastic in our beautiful mountain town. Please make it a priority to ban single use
plastic.

Thank you,

Leanne Standing

Subject: I say NO to single use plastic bags in Jasper
To whom it may concern,
I say NO to plastic bags.
Single use plastics destroy global marine biodiversity by polluting ocean environments and killing
animals that confuse plastics for food. They might be cheap but as a national park I would hope you
would recognize the importance of reducing our carbon footprint for the sake of not only the town but
also the animals. If the global environmental crisis we are facing isn’t enough reason for you to consider
banning single plastic use, consider that a considerable amount of single use plastic will be left here, in
the national park, damaging the ecosystems of our wildlife. As such, banning our single use plastic and
replacing it with biodegradable alternatives where we can is an environmental imperative, especially for
national parks such as Jasper.
Thank you for taking the time to consider the impact of single use plastics.
Lucas Standing

Subject: plastic bags

I am against the plastic checkout bag ban. In a resort town it is unreasonable to expect tourists, who
because of lack of town planning, have to carry their groceries for blocks to where there is parking.
Town Council would be better to put their energies into encouraging the groceries stores and
laundromats to relocate along the railway tracks and use present lots for accommodation. As it is now,
the town and Parks expect people to live along the railway and keep the congestion along Patricia. Then
with parking available along the railway track beside the grocery stores you could ban plastic bags. Think
ahead town council. Start thinking about providing bike lanes in town.
Ruth Remple

Subject: Plastic bag ban
To Mayor and Council:
I am completely supportive of this ban and would encourage Council to expand it to other items as
mentioned on the ban webpage as soon as possible, or certainly by July 1, 2020 (plastic straws, utensils,
take-out food containers, polystyrene foam cups and containers, and flushables).
I would like to see it go farther still and encourage the grocery retailers in town to try to reduce the
plastic and styrofoam packaging they use/order, especially on produce. Another easy win would be
having the cafés use compostable coffee cup lids, as Sunhouse does.
Finally, I do have one question - why not allow biodegradable bags? I understand that they are not
always as 'biodegradable' as implied, but I am just curious on the research that led to this decision. I do
not have a strong opinion one way or the other at this point.
Thank you,
Lucas Habib

Subject: Single use plastic bag ban

Dear Mayor and town council,

As someone who was born in Jasper and was raised there, I say no to single use plastic bags in Jasper. As
a national park, Jasper needs to make changes towards environmental conservation. I believe that
banning single use plastic bags is a step towards saving our earth.

Tannin Standing

Subject: Letter of support for the plastic bag ban

Dear MOJ council,

I would like you to support the plastic bag ban. I feel like being in a National Park we have a
responsibility to protect our environment for future generations. Thanks for bringing forward some
green initiatives to the table

Best regards,

Nicholas Bazin

Subject: plastic bag ban

I am very supportive of this plastic bag ban and I hope we will continue banning other plastic items such
as straws and bottles.
Anika Lodge

Subject: Plastic Bag Ban

Dear Councilpersons, I heard about the plastic bag ban discussion from a co-worker, and am interested
in providing my opinion as I have lived in many places with different plastic-ban bylaws. It doesn't really
alter the way people live their lives, except keeping a spare cloth bag in your wallet/purse, but the
impact on the environment is substantial. Pushing for reusable bags also teaching younger generations
about sustainability and their environmental footprint. It's been about three years since I lived in a 100%
plastic-ban city, but it ingrained habits like bringing my own metal straws and reusable bags whenever I
went out, and created an awareness within my peer group. The habits stay for quite a while, and as a
town with a large transient population, those habits will spread wherever the people go. The suggestion
for paper bags, of minimum 40% post-consumer recycled content, is also worth keeping if this bylaw is
passed. While suggesting that business sell reusable bags is a great one, I believe the content of these
bags should be more than 75% natural materials, such as linen, cotton, or other vegetable-based fibers. I
lived in a small town in Ontario growing up, near a landfill, and many of these 100-use plastic-based
bags end up there well before their allotted lifespan. The moment something spills in them, or there's a
slight rip, people are more than willing to chuck it than clean. A charge of $0.10 per bag won't help, I
believe, because people will always pay for convenience and the goal of this bylaw should be to
encourage a better environment, not to let those who can afford it bypass a ban. Options should be a
reusable bag of mostly natural fibers, or a paper bag of mostly recycled materials (of course, it is up to
the business to state their own prices for these items). At least in this way, if people really cannot help
themselves, the bag won't have as large an impact on the environment, and it will encourage people to
really bring their own bags if the prices for stand-ins are higher than a dime. Thank you for listening to
these ideas, and I hope they help you all make an informed decision about this proposed bylaw.

Best,

Nowreen

Subject: Support for plastic bag ban

Hello, I support this proposed bylaw as long as the affected businesses have been consulted to ensure it
meets the practical needs of grocers and their customers; and the alternatives have been researched to
ensure that they in fact do have less of an ecological impact/carbon foot print than single use plastics. I
think this bylaw should ensure that grocers limit or find alternatives for the use of plastic bags for
produce and baked goods. For future, I think the bylaw should be expanded so that grocers must limit or
find alternatives to plastic wrapping produce/food in store. I realize that Marmot Basin is outside of the
townsite but curious if any solutions could be found between MOJ and Parks Canada to address the
amount of plastic waste generated at the ski hill. Thanks for addressing this important issue!

Karly Savoy

Subject: Single Use Plastics

I really, really support this initiative. Cutting down on our volume of waste needs to be a top priority for
a destination like Jasper. We are a town that can make a significant difference. I think that through

proactive measures, that we can educate visitors and residents alike to the small behavioural changes
that go along with reducing our reliance on single-use plastics.

I would, however, encourage the Municipality to take this further. While single-use take-away bags (the
kind that our groceries get packaged in at the till) are definitely a good start, I already use reusable cloth
bags, and my garbage bin is still full of plastic. I'm talking about the styrofoam and shrink wrap that
pretty much all meat products are packaged in, the plastic bags that my day-old bread comes in, and the
unnecessary packaging on fruits and vegetables. The list could go on, but the point is that the majority
of our plastic is packaging the items that we buy, and not necessarily in the bag that we use to carry
those home.

Some local businesses are paving the way, showing us how they can operate with a minimum of non-
recyclable single use plastic. I think that these folks need to be commended, and that their business
peers should be looking to get in a friendly game of "who can use less plastic". Retailers can demand
less plastic from their suppliers, and thereby help us cut down on our waste. I really don't see how this
can be spun as a negative.

Craig Hartmetz

Subject: I am in favour of the plastic bag ban

To whom it may concern:

I am in favour of the plastic bag ban.
It is an important symbolic act to show the world that we are concerned about reducing our plastic
pollution.

Mike Dillon

Subject: Letter to Council

Dear Municipality of Jasper,

I am writing to you on behalf of Create Change Jasper. As you know, we came to you in July of 2018
proposing a ban on single use plastic bags. We want to again show our support of the bylaw.

We understand that there are road blocks with the progression of the bylaw. Though there has been
some pushback against the ban, there is more support of this bill than there is opposition. The fact that
over 500 residents (>10% of the population) signed a petition for banning bags proves this. Further
support can be seen from the polls on the Fitzhugh Facebook page where out of 1133 votes, 83% of the
people are in favour of banning single use plastics. This strongly suggests the majority of Jasperites are
for going bag free.

It has been mentioned before, we will raise it again: we are a National Park community where the
highest standard of environmental care should be upheld. Until now, we have been lacking when we
should be leaders in this domain. Plastic bags are harmful to the environment, they are not renewable,
they end up in the landfill and take hundreds to thousands of years to break down. We understand that
this is only the tip of the plastic situation and that change is always a challenge, but we see this as a
progress in the right direction. Baby steps toward a bigger solution. We would love to see Jasper take a
bigger step by eventually becoming a leader in the waste free movement.

Since tourist seasons is approaching, action should be taken on the matter as soon as possible. Thank
you for taking the time to read and consider the views of most of the Jasper community.

Sincerely,

Walter Ostrander and Julie DesBecquets

Feedback from Businesses
Subject: Plastic

I say no to single use plastic bags in Jasper

Miranda Melnychuk | Mountain Wellness Day Spa Jasper, AB

Subject: Plastic Bags

To: Mayor and Council

You have asked for input regarding the proposed single use plastic bag ban in Jasper First of all I would
like you to clarify “single use”

To me this means only multiple items may be put in a plastic bag not a single item. But I feel I have that
in correct I am in favour of “reducing“ ( this is the word used in the Fitzhugh article but also “ban”. So
which is it?) plastic anything and I personally practice this in my daily life but only 90% of me is in favour
Unfortunately plastic has become very integrated into all our lives but a start must be made somewhere
to reduce and to be educated on reducing. An all right ban does not seem feasible to me right away but
reducing is very feasible and would hopefully lead to less plastic. Already our grocery stores are offering
more fruits and vegetables not packaged in plastic. Plus they are more than willing to weigh them loose
without being put in a plastic bag If we were not a Tourist destination town reducing/banning plastic
bags would be much easier since many locals refuse them or bring their own and the others could be
educated.

Now onto my 10% of not in favour
We are a Tourist Destination Town and all businesses depend mostly on tourism. How do you tell these
most welcomed visitors that their 2+ bottles of liquor must be put in a paper bag that may not hold
them. Yes we can also invest in cloth bags but your suggestion to charge is not feasible since some may
and some may not and that would determine where people shop. We employ responsible and
sustainable business practices and will continue in the future to reduce our plastic bag check out bag.
We mostly offer paper bags or no bag but our tourists do not want this nor do they carry their own
reusable bag.

In the Fitzhugh article it also stated what can be put in a plastic bag. Who made this rule???
Are you saying that loose mushrooms, flowers etc which are very light items deserve a plastic bag over
say 2+ heavy bottles of liquor??

Fining us for using a plastic bag on occasion will only cause bad feelings and who is going to pay for
these “plastic bag police?” Us the taxpayers who you are fining?????

We are looking into alternative packaging but to start this in such a short time does not give us time to
change over nor to use the bags we also have in stock If this “ban” starts immediately will we have to
put our unused bags in the garbage without them being used at least once?

Also will Parks Canada be informing all those visitors at the gates that Jasper will be giving out less
plastic bags? This should be implemented. Maybe instead of hiring and fining the Municipality should
invest in recyclable bags to give out at the gates.

You must realize that the cost to switch over plus the storage of these new bags will be considerable We
do want to reduce plastic considerably for future generations of course but it seems that it will be the
business community who will be affected the most so I do understand how this proposed “law” with
affect us!!!!

I applaud the endeavours and hard work of the T shirt bag crew but unfortunately they do not work with
the weight of our products.

I will end this with let’s start reducing plastic bag usage and trust the Jasper businesses to do this. Not
with threats of fines and prosecution

Do not get me wrong. I am in favour of reducing our plastic bags and hopefully that will lead to no
plastic bags but you can’t undo years of usage in a few months. Hopefully more companies will start
making recyclable bags in the future as more towns follow our suit but please let’s be reasonable as we
start on this journey and let’s do it together

Support not fines

Sincerely

Coni Bowen

Subject: Plastic Bags

Dear. Mayor Ireland and Council,

I am reaching out to you in regards to the plastic ban in Jasper. It is my honest opinion that enforcing an
immediate plastic ban in Jasper is not a realistic plan. There are many reasons for my thoughts on this
matter.

As the owner of a local business that has lived in Jasper for 35 years, I have seen how Jasper’s livelihood
is dependent on the tourists that come from all corners of the Earth. Jasper is a tourist town. The guests
we host here, cannot be expected to bring their own bags. When I customer comes into my store and
makes a purchase, if they are given all they need for that purchase including a bag to put their items in,
this may detour them and cause them to leave. This would cause loss of revenue for not only our
business but the businesses of others in this town. Who will be offsetting this loss? Also, if we were to
switch to paper bags or other plastic alternatives, this would burden us with a significant added cost.

Banning all plastic would be nearly impossible. Plastic is a part of every aspect of our lives. Having
someone even reduce their plastic use takes education and time. Aiming to make Jasper a reduced
plastic town, is a great idea but eliminating it all together would be very difficult.

We have taken measures in our store and in our lives to reduce the wasting of single-use plastic bags.
First of all, we ask our customers if they need a bag. It happens often that customers will not take a
bag. In our home accommodation as well as in our home, we reuse plastic bags for garbage. What
appears to be single-use doesn’t have to be.

In closing, we are greatly in favour of reducing the plastic consumption in Jasper. We can start with
educating our residents and finding alternatives for plastic. Let’s start their and move forward. Let’s
move forward together without threats, fines or bans.

Sincerely,

Mahmoud Ismaeil
Owner, Coquihalla Gifts

Subject: Plastic Bags

This is Yuichi Tokunaga, owner of Candy Bear’s Lair.

I have been supportive of plastic reduction for a long time. However recently the town of Jasper is
trying to ban all of single use plastic from January 2020. That’s why I am writing a letter to you.

Again, I am not against a ban but I would like to all of town of Mayor and councillors know about our
business then consider it when making a decision.

We make and sell fudge, caramels and chocolate candies at the store. The majority of our customers are
international and from out of town who purchase our items to bring home for souvenirs.

We put a sign up 4 or 5 years ago saying “Attention: Please think about environment/earth when you
ask extra bags/ cup”. I have also purchased wooden spoons for tasting ice cream, instead of plastic.

But, I am worried that this ban will have a huge impact on my business because I have not been able to
find an alternative to plastic bags for chocolate items and wrapping fudge. You cannot put chocolate in
reusable cloth bags and the chocolate melts in paper bags. Is it possible to get an exception?

I would like to invite some or all of councillors to come to store and discuss about the future decision.

I also made big order of plastic bags in early January for 4-5 years of bags before this announcement.
What happens to this investment?

I do not understand that definition of reusesable plastic bags; I use 1.5 ml plastic bags with handles in
the store. They are strong, you can use them many times and 100%recyclable low density polyethylene.
Is this bag considered a reusesable bag?

I agree with the ban in principal, however I cannot see it working for my business and would like to
discuss in person. I would be happy to show you what I mean if you come to the store.

Thank you, Yuichi

Subject: I say NO to single use plastic bags in Jasper

Hello,

I say NO to single use plastic bags in Jasper!

I think it’s a great idea for this to go ahead in a National Park in Canada. It has inspired us at Alpine
Village Resort to take most of our single use plastic out of our cabins & purchase biodegradable
products. We’re also not going to sell any plastic water bottles anymore & have for purchase only
reusable Nalgene bottles. We’ve always been recycling here at our resort & phasing out single use
plastic bags makes sense for us and the municipality of Jasper.

Thank you,

Rena Allin

Subject: Please circulate for discussion

Hi Richard,
My thoughts

Another idiotic idea, if only people knew the amount unusable petroleum based packing material in
each shipment delivered to a grocery store, restaurant, pharmacy or a retailer .... the problem comes
before it even reaches the retailer, or end consumer.... all the bags given to the end user is never single
use... that same bags gets used over and over again....from garbage bags for lavatory, car or office. To
Lunch bags or foods stored in the freezer. We have pencil pushers making these decisions not real
thinkers.... the halting of these materials entering our eco system in Canada has to start from the
manufacturer before it even reaches the shelves they will be sold on...

Have a look in the garbage bins in the alley ways after a bunch of deliveries during peak season .....
plastic bags, styrofoam, shredded who knows what... then we buy great big garbage bags to stuff all that
non reusable material in. So it can actually go in the dumpster...

This bylaw would have little impact of the issue.
Canada needs real solutions, single use ban is a cop out, on the governments part this needs a federal
push to put a stop to these pollutants ands it is not at the retail level... the amount of end user choosing
not to use a bag supplied by the retailer is already huge, and the retailer has already stopped giving bags
out unless the consumer “REQUIRES IT”

What next HOV lanes for Jasper.

Let’s have a bylaw for beverage containers, that’s making changes!!!

Thanks
Dave Hamdi
Jasper resident and business owner
(continued on following page)

My final thoughts... consumers are already refusing bags, retailers no longer offer them unless
requested or absolutely needed. Retailers are re-using the packaging from their deliveries; for second
and third uses.

Work with the retailer and consumer to build on this initiative. But do not punish them with policing and
ticketing.
Get everybody on board thru a campaign of education, cooperation and participation just like recycling.
Everybody is concerned and concisely making better choices. Make it a fad not a crime....
Punish the retailer and he will punish the consumer usually through the pocket book....
That’s just bad business.....

Please continue reading below

———

I strongly believe we need a deeper conversation about this issue. We have “weeds” growing but the
ban solutions is only plucking away at the leaves it needs to be pulled from the roots in order to be
effective.
Please circulate my email. I am not concerned about negative push back, as I am after a real and
inclusive solutions.

On Nancy Addison FB page we are getting some dialog happing and some of interesting perspectives
Thanks
Dave

Examples:
————-
Start from the source, who makes these bags, packaging material, etc. why do they get a free pass are
they not being regulated...
What a great a idea? beverages in a plastic bottle? What the heck why not water in a plastic bottle...
why stop there let’s put our soap in it too...
To get rid of a weed you must pull it out from the root, not pluck a way at its leaves ....
it will just come back and spread to another place...
It’s as useful as band-aid is to cancer... we cannot solve these issues with the same mind set that led us
to these problems ... we all need to think bigger
I agree we need to break our bad habits but ...

when you have a deadly pharmaceutical drug killing people. you don’t punish the end user you punch
the drug company..
I am acknowledging their is a serious problem, but this is not the solution
————-
totally agree. It has to flow up word from the manufacturer choices in packaging to the choices in
shipping materials to the market place and yes! The retailer / end consumer choices on how they take it
home.

I wish that consumers / councillors understood that the item they are buying came in singles use
packaging 10 times more than the bag the consumer is taking it home in.

Envision this; Canada is no longer a producing country of consumer goods. It’s actually China that owns
the lions share... take a simple thing like a plate, manufactured in China, how much packaging do you
think goes into making sure it arrives to our ports safe. Let’s not stop there, the re-distributor in Canada
will pull these bulk container shipments totally apart to ensure they are not damaged, then repackage in
singles or other packaging and sell individually to the retailer....and they also packaging in a way that
ensures the safe delivery to the retailer....

Hey and if you don’t believe me, go look inside a garbage bin after a retailer receives a delivery, you will
find glad garbage bags filled with clear plastic bags, bubble wrap, foam wrap, styrofoam chips, shredded
news paper and sturdy petroleum based boxes that Cannot be recycled .

All this material used for the safe, and dry delivery to the retailer.... now the consumer will buy the
product and even if they refuse to take the plastic bag... then they go to the dollar store to buy gift
wrapping, ribbons etc....

Is the ban actually doing anything .... he** no.... (redacted by MoJ Administration)
Miss guided and futile

Let’s have a conversation about how those reusable shopping bag everyone is opting out to use as an
alternative. Has anybody thought about how they are made? Printing on it is a lot worst chemicals than
what is used on the current plastic or paper bag, most of them have coatings on them and inside them.
They are also excellent for transporting all sorts of bacteria if not cleaned regularly... and if you do clean
� what are we using to clean them...
oh and where are they being made... we have made a complete circle.... and just wait until those bags
start filling up our land fills. People will throw them away for a small rip, loose stitching or smell...

History will repeat its self

————
 or putting a banana in its own single use plastic bag. They don’t ripen properly and get slimy and
smelly. I have seen grapefruits cut in half, put on a styrofoam container and wrapped in plastic
wrap. They have gone from the ridiculous to the sublime. I’m also pissed off at the marijuana products
that are sold in cardboard and plastic. I should think they would be the best supporter of hemp
products that are completely biodegradable.

----

Dave Hamdi
Jasper resident and business owner

Subject: Plastic Bag Ban

To the Mayor and Council,

As a business owner I currently have approximately 2500 plastic bags in inventory. It seems ludicrous to
dispose of any of these when the plastic ban becomes enforced.

Consideration needs to be taken into account for existing inventory as when ordering custom bags the
minimum quantities are huge. Our last order was back in 2012 and our plastic bag footprint is
minimal. Retailers need time to use existing inventory, it only makes sense!

Regards,

Dani Diduck
Owner @ Gravity Gear

Subject: plastic bag ban

To Mayor and Town Council

I am writing to express my opposition to the proposed ban on plastic checkout bags starting Jan 1, 2020.
I agree that Jasper business should be encouraged to offer a reasonable alternative to plastic at the
checkout if asked by the customer but I disagree with the proposal that it would be forced upon
businesses by law. I also would like to express my concern over the lack of time business have to comply
with this new regulation. As many of you know it is incredibly expensive to ship items to Jasper from
other areas of the country and in order to help offset the shipping expenses most of us will buy upwards
of 3 to 5 years of bags in order to make the shipping charges worthwhile. As a result we have a large
stock of bags on hand that we need time to use up and 6 months will not be enough time. What
happens to these unused bags? I suggest to you that they will probably end up in the landfill regardless.

A couple of points to consider:

According to a UK study published in Stanford Magazine
 - The problem with plastic bags is that they can be recycled but most people don’t or many
 municipalities don’t accept them. Many people do reuse plastic bags and this does reduce their
 carbon footprint but only to a point. They end up being trash bag liners or dog bags and used
 once and disposed of.
 - Paper bags are biodegradable and easy to recycle or compost but producing them in quantity
 requires a lot of water, fuel and cut down trees. Paper bags aren’t usually made from recycled
 material, because new paper has longer, stronger fibers.
 - A cotton bag would have to be reused 131 times to break even with a plastic bag, in terms of
 climate impact of producing each bag.
 - Non woven polypropylene is less costly than cotton and only needs to be reused 11 times to
 break even with the conventional plastic.

In closing I feel it should be up to each individual citizen of Jasper to make a choice whether they want
to use plastic or reusable poly or paper, it should not be forced upon us in legal form.

Doug Albert
Jasper Source for Sports

Subject: Plastic Checkout Bag Ban

To my Jasper Council,

I am writing to you with some concerns about your single use "checkout" bag ban.

I come from a generation where paper bags were considered a "no-no". I remember watching the news,
reading news paper articles, and being taught at school that we were destroying football size fields of
trees in the Amazon Rainforest to produce massive quantities of paper bags for store use. These paper
bags were also considered "single use". The minute they got ripped or torn or wet, you could no longer
re-use it. Hence the plastic bag industry came into effect to substitute the damage we were creating in
the Amazon Rainforest.

Now again, we find ourselves in a similar situation with plastic bags. We are no longer destroying our
forests, we are destroying our environment by bags not degrading at a fast rate, bags affecting our
animals on land and at sea, and by these bags releasing toxic chemicals throughout their degrading
process into our soil.

I started carrying "Oxo Biodegradable" bags at my store. I spend quite a bit more money on these bags
to help with the issues we are encountering with these "single use" plastic bags. I bought these bags
under the understanding that they have a shelf life of no more than 18 months and are 100%
degradable within a short time frame. Below is the link to read up on them. I am not quite sure why
these bags are not appropriate, and why I would not be allowed to continue giving these out to my
customers.
http://www.retailsupplies.net/pdf/oxo_biodegradable_bags.pdf

However, if this Plastic Ban does go into effect, I have no problem buying recycled paper bags to give to
my customers. I do however have an issue with having to charge them for it. I do not understand the
reasoning behind having to charge my customer if I have already paid for them. This should be my
prerogative and no one else's. In my store, besides "checkout bags" I carry small plastic bags for the bulk
candy that my customers get to fill to their liking. I also have small paper bags where I put bulk
chocolate for my customers orders. As far as I can tell from what you have described your bag ban to be,
I should not have issues continuing to provide these to my customers, nor should I be harassed, as I have
previously been at a grocery store because I forget to bring my reusable bag, by providing them? Is that
correct?

One last comment or concern I have about this single use plastic bag ban. What happens with doggy
bags? We already in Jasper have a big problem with people not picking up after their dogs. With this bag
ban, you are banning doggy bags as they are single-use as well. This is the perfect excuse for people not
to pick up after their dogs. Who is going to clean up all the dog feces throughout town? Is this going to
become the municipalities job? Plastic bag police job? I don't think so.

I think before imposing this "Single-Use Plastic Bag Ban" a bit more work and research has to be done. A
better write up of exactly what this ban entails. And perhaps research into getting rid of all styrofoam
containers, single-use plastic bottles for shampoo and such used at hotels, all fast food single use cups,
all plastic pop bottles sold around town etc etc etc......

Thank you,

Ana Lea Berenguer
Owner of Ana Lea's Candy Lane

Subject: Plastic Bag Ban – Attention Mayor & Council

Dear Mayor and Council,

I am writing in regard to the proposed plastic bag ban, in my capacity as a resident of Jasper and this
planet, as well as the manager of the gift shop at the Jasper Yellowhead Museum & Archives.

I urge you to vote yes on the proposal. It is imperative that we all begin acting to save our ecosystems
now, in any way that we can. Jasper should stand with communities that are working to make a change,
not the ones that are opting for the status quo. To continue dishing out plastic bags sends a message
that we don't care about the islands of plastic in the middle of the ocean, the fish and other aquatic life
dying from the masses of plastic lodged in their intestines, nor even in fact about ourselves as we
become more and more toxic with plastic nano particles.

Change always comes with resistance, but resistance can be overcome with education and support.
People need to understand that even if they use their single use plastic over 6, 12 or 20 times, it still
eventually ends up in our landfills and floating free around our world. It breaks down very slowly,
releasing toxins into the groundwater as it does.

At the Museum, we have been phasing out plastic bags over the past year.
We have 3 sizes of paper bag that we use and it is very rarely that we are asked to give out a plastic bag.
I have sourced out a reasonably priced supplier in Calgary and would be happy to pass their name on to
anyone who would like it.

As for the exceptions: loose small items such as nails, bolts, etc are just as easily put into small paper
bags, ditto bakery goods and prescription drugs. Meat, poultry and fish were wrapped in butcher paper
in the not distant past and we could go that way again. I see no reason why paper bags couldn't be used
for loose bulk items as well. I grew up in a time when plastic bags were not so prevalent. We used paper
grocery bags to put our garbage out, with a layer of newspaper on the bottom.
Garbage should not be messy, we have enough compost bins around town.

Please, let us do the right thing. Let us all be proud of Jasper and the effort we make to help our world
support us all, as we stand with other forward thinking communities.

Thank you,
Margret Bealy

Subject: Bag ban letter

To Mayor and council,

As a small business owner and resident since 1976, I would like to respectively submit my observations
with regards to the proposed bag ban by-law.

The ramifications of such a ban would be felt on many levels. It would be extremely short sighted of
council not to consider the huge negative implications of a change to Jasper’s “bag culture”.

Unfortunately, small business would once again bear the brunt. The business community in Jasper
already carries a very heavy tax load compared to residents, but are not given much consideration for it.
At an approximately 5:1 ratio, the split is much higher then many towns in our surrounding area. The
proposed bag ban would place more undue strain on a small business community already stressed to
the limit by the province’s current unfavorable economic climate. Simply put the change would cost
money, and lots of it. Money to replace the current plastic bag system with a renewable option, and
money lost on tourists not willing to pay for the new paper or cotton bags. The additional cost to small
business is incalculable.

Personally, I do not think inconvenience for 2.4 million visitors is a logical response to the war against
plastic. I take offence to council wishing to re-educate with my own resources, and the resources of
other small business owners. A better response would be for the town’s anti-bag coalition to set up
kiosks in the downtown core to educate the tourists and sell their reusable bags. Anti-baggers need to
step up and offer to pay for change. A one-time tax or full-time levee to ease the burden on the over
taxed small business person would also be an appropriate action.

We must ask ourselves, what are we trying to accomplish by the bag ban? Are we trying to save the
landfill, reduce our carbon footprint, feel good about ourselves at others expense? In actuality the belief
that paper is better than plastic is not based on science or fact.” It is based on misconceptions about
how plastic bags are made, how landfills work, the incidence of plastic litter, and that non-bio degrading
products are bad for the planet.” *

Here are the facts:

 • Numerous life cycle assessments demonstrate that conventional plastic bags are better for the
 environment than paper bags
 • On resource use: plastic bags play an important role in the conservation for the natural gas
 resources. In Canada plastic bags are made from ethane which is often burned off in the natural
 gas refining process.
 • On manufacturing: paper bag manufacture is much more resource-intensive than plastic bag
 manufacture.
 • On reuse: It is difficult to reuse paper bags because they tend to tear.
 • On solid waste: paper bags have much greater mass and weigh five to seven times more than
 plastic bags so they add five to seven times more tonnage to the waste stream for municipalities
 to manage. This in turn results in a fivefold increase in greenhouse gas emissions.**

In all honesty, the single use plastic bag ban is a feel-good response to our collective guilt, but evidently,
not the most effective. The problem with government, as Milton Friedman said, is that “it’s always so